Riding On A Rail

Robert Wilson of La Palma, California, has always felt pulled in two directions. He already owns a 1967 Camaro that runs 9.60s at 141mph down the 1320 but that car didn't have the best street manners and wasn't a great handler when it came to the twisties. So what to do? Build another Camaro as a bad-ass g-Machine, of course!

As Robert said, "I wanted a car that I could drive anywhere...but still quick enough to rip the windshield out of most vehicles on the street." It was during an alcohol-fueled game of Grand Tourismo that Robert and his best friend Marc Martine, came up with the idea to build a '69 Camaro into all-out g-Machine. After gaining the blessing of Robert's very understanding wife Dawna, the guys set out on their mission.

So in March of 2003, Robert partnered up with Marc and acquired a nice 1969 Camaro. Without much of a plan, the two began ordering go-fast parts at an alarming rate--so fast that the credit card company called to make sure the card had not been stolen! Other than the basic body, almost nothing was retained from the original car. First to go was the factory front sub-frame. In its place they bolted on a Martz Custom front subframe with rack-and-pinion power steering, adjustable coil-over shocks and narrowed tubular upper control arms to help squeeze in wider wheels up front. For the rear suspension they had the guys over at Hot Rods to Hell weld in one of their slick truck arm suspensions. Since they were there, they also added mini-tubs from Detroit Speed and Engineering and subframe connectors.

Now that the suspension was in order, it was time to address the drivetrain. The pair hit the Internet for information, getting set-up ideas from sites like www.pro-touring.com and www.LS1tech.com. It was after this that Marc and Robert opted to go with the "all or nothing" approach and squeeze in an LS6 Vette motor from A&A Corvette in Oxnard, California. The basically stock motor got a good mid-range cam (224/228 degrees and 0.581/0.588-inch lift), and some custom tuning. They are on their third camshaft in the last six months in an effort to squeeze out the maximum horsepower from the LS6 motor. So far they have dynoed a very respectable 414 rear-wheel hp and 389 lb-ft of torque. Keeping it running cool during spirited driving is a custom Be-Cool aluminum radiator with dual SPAL fans. Shifting duties are handled through a T-56 six-speed transmission and a Centerforce dual-friction clutch. Power is transmitted to the road through an ACPT carbon fiber driveshaft mated to a GM 12-bolt differential with 3.73 gears. The exhaust is vented through S&P headers into a custom dual exhaust.

With all that ability to go fast they needed to address the other side and make sure that the car could stop good as well. Wilwood four-piston calipers on four corners mated to 13-inch front rotors and 12.25-inch rear rotors keep everything under control. Rolling stock consists of Boyd Stingray 17x8 and 17x11 billet wheels wrapped in BFG KD rubber 245/45R17 front and 315/35R17 rear.

Since the vision of the car included comfort in addition to performance, the duo addressed some of the creature comforts. The entire interior was coated in Dynamat and then the guys at Eddy & Sons crafted a custom black tweed interior. Information is relayed to the driver through Autometer gauges mounted in a Detroit Speed dash. A Momo steering wheel tops off a Flaming River tilt steering column and is complemented with a Lokar pedal set. With many road miles planned for the Camaro, good tunes were in order so they installed a head unit by Alpine, Alpine amplifiers, Polk component speakers and a 12-inch subwoofer by Audiobahn. Other upgrades include power windows, door locks and a Vintage Air Compact II system to handle heating and cooling duties. Given the capabilities of the car and how it would be used, safety was a major concern. This was addressed with the addition of a 10-point roll cage by Hot Rods to Hell and a set of 5-point racing harnesses.

Now don't get the crazy idea that this is some show-car trailer queen. This car was built with one thing in mind, to be driven! In the year since it hit the road they have logged over 6,000 miles on the car. At the drag strip they have hurled the Marina Blue Camaro down the quarter-mile to the tune of 12.59 at 114 mph. Pretty respectable for a car set up to battle on twisting roads.

One of their more proud moments was competing in the Nevada Open Road Challenge event. This took place in May of 2004 just shortly after the car was completed. Technically these cars are never truly completed, so the pair was a little concerned about how the combination of parts would perform in the real world. According to Robert, "Not only did the car feel as steady as a rock at 160 mph (GPS verified) but the car won the Most Coveted Car award at their car show." Not too shabby considering the event was stuffed full of Vipers, Ferraris, Corvettes, Porsches and other exotics. They didn't win their speed class, but the event was a great learning experience and they plan on doing better next time. In fact, they have already been honing their skills by competing in Nevada's Silver State Classic.

So what is planned for the Camaro's future? We managed to get Robert to admit that he is considering either a 427 LSx motor for the car or possibly some sort of forced induction. After all, can you ever have too much power on tap? Robert and Marc have also considered some new fancy paint, but the pair is concerned that this would make them more hesitant to run the car as much. As we all know, open road events at high speeds are notoriously hard on paint jobs. According to Robert, the focus on the car will always be driving it, and at PHR, that is music to our ears.